The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-01-26
" Stopyn exclaimed Cameron.

| IT you will give me seventy-tive thousand
dollars now will drop Miss Alwyn alto
| gether, and so manage matters that In a
very short time she will be only too glad TO
| forget her music and accept your offer of
marriage. Come, Mr.. Cameron, the sum
have mentioned is a mere bagatelle to you"
Now Richard Cameron was, decidedly,
very much in love; still, he was not so entire
| ~ lost to things terrestrial but that he knew
| full we'll that this was a most unique and
extraordinary offer.
He certainly wanted Alta Alwyn for his
wife, and 10 attain that end would gladly
expend twice seventy five thousand dollars.
But were Rivera's proposals honorable,
| were they worthy his consideration? Any
way, how could Rivera guarantee to bring
his plans 10 n successful issue, and should
a man who would break contract with a
woman be trusted in any degree? All
these thoughts passed, one after another,
through Cameron's brain.
"Well, Mr.. Cameron?" urged the signor.
Il do not quite see through your scheme,
signor, said the young man.
Il will be frank with you," resumed
Rivera. 1T is clearly understood between
us that / want cash and you want the
lady. If my proposition is accepted, well;
if not, well. Only, no riding the high
on-nothing of that kind, please, or 1
stop right here"
"Go on, said Cameron, rs the Italian
paused for n moment.
II fiatter myself that | have made Alta
Alwyn as an artist; also, that l understand
her nature thoroughly. As L have made
her professional reputation, so / can an
make it can blast it. If / know any
thing of my pupil, she will not be able TO
take failure and disappointment very we'll.
When 1t comes she will turn to you, and
not until then. IL necessary / will Try
something more. l will damage her pri-
vate reputation; l will kill her socially; l
will"
"Stop!" exclaimed Cameron. 81 do not
wish to hear any more. But / must have
that girl. will give you seventy-no, L
will give you eighty thousand dollars now,
for a present, to help you out of your diff
| culties-a present, you understand, without
regard to Miss Alwyn-I cannot make
| money bargains on her account giCe you
| this as present. OF course, if you can
! help me in any way, do so. But be care
| full. Call Tomorrow, and you can have
| the money
When the manager had gone, Cameron
| tried to soothe his conscience. But think
| as he would. try to persuade himself as he
| might, lie could not drive from his brain
| the knowledge that he had agreed TO pay
| money TO an INSCRIPTIONS man for the
purpose of destroying womans fame,
and, percbance, her good name.
Right we'll Rivera succeeded in his plans.
| With a flush bank account he grew reck-
less, and his professional duties and obi
| cations were thrown to the winds. This
alone was sufficient to seriously hurt his
protegee. But he did not stop at that.
| He used every means his cunning mind
could desire 10 blast Alta Alwyn's reputa-
| ton, and, three months after the young
singer tad made her triumphal debut, her
| fame as an artist was killed. Not only so,
but many were the cruel stories, dropped
| from careless lips, in regard TO her private
life; and, though utterly untrue, they hurt
her none the less.
AS Rivera had foretold, Alta Alwyn could
i'll brook disappointment. She had no near
friends, and while her heart had held
naugnt but ambition she had not felt their
need. Now she yearned for some one in
whom she could confide, and the only one
of whom she thought was Dick Cameron.
| Yet, when Dick Cameron came to her III
her loneliness and once more offered bis
hand. she refused him. Not that she had
the faintest suspicion of Camerons part
in Rivera's plot against herself-or, indeed
of the plot itself For she had felt SO
sorry for Rivera at the loss he must neces-
sarily (as she supposedly suffer on account
of her failure, that she pressed upon him
the greater part of her own share of the
profits of her brief season. No; if she had
twice refused Dick Cameron's love, she
had always trusted and respected him, and
could never have associated his name with
q mean action. But she was proud, and
having, in the heyday of her triumph, re-
fused his love, she felt IL would be utterly
impossible for her, with any degree of self
respect, to take that love when all else
failed. So yet agan Richard Cameron
was disappointed. Sick at heart and some.
what ashamed of himself, he left New
York and took up his residence in the gay
French capital.
And when the girl who had once said tina
she had no heart, the girl who had so latel,
known nothing but ambition, who hao
cared for naught but success in her choser
profession-w this same girl realize,
that the ocean lay between herself anC
Dick Cameron, she knew then, when ]
was too late, that she loved him. IL wa
only the repetition of an old story: